Design of a commercial-scale heat-integrated distillation column based on plate-fin heat exchangers
conference paper
The Heat-Integrated Distillation Column (HIDiC), in which heat is transferred directly from the rectification section to the stripping section of the column, has higher energy efficiency than either a conventional distillation column or a vapour-recompression column. Although the HIDiC concept has been researched for a number of years, it has not yet been commercialised. However, a HIDiC based on a plate-fin heat exchanger has advantages of compactness, a closer temperature approach, modular structure, flexibility in design, and low pressure drop. A case study for a commercial-scale propane-propene splitter has shown that the plate-fin HIDiC can save 35% in primary energy and 10% in Total Annual Cost compared to a vapour-recompression column. Savings compared to a conventional distillation column are even higher.
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TNO Identifier
821398
Publisher
ECN
Source title
6th International Conference on Enhanced, Compact and Ultra-Compact Heat Exchangers: Science, Engineering & Technology, Potsdam, Germany, 17-21 september 2007.
Collation
9 p.
Place of publication
Petten
Pages
9 p.
Files